Wisconsin set to take biggest stage of fall season at ITA Midwest RegionalBadgers look to earn bid to the ITA Championship

Nicky Stracar earned the eighth seed in the qualifying draw.

Oct. 19, 2011

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin women's tennis team is sending four to compete in the ITA Midwest Regionals this week in Columbus, Ohio. Competition will be held at the Varsity Tennis Center and Jesse Owens West Tennis Center.

Wisconsin is one of 25 schools competing at the ITA Midwest Regional in Columbus, which serves as a precursor to the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Championships, Nov. 3-6, at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

All three Badgers have to win two matches in order to advance to the main draw.

Stracar earned the eighth seed in the qualifying draw and will face the winner of the match between Ohio State's Kelsey Becker and Elisa Simonetti of UIC. The No. 8 seeded sophomore is scheduled to play at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Berner awaits the winner of the match between Akron's Natasha Kuvekina and Detroit's Amanda Cornwell. Berner will take the court at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Markovic is scheduled to play the winner of the match between Teona Tsertvadze of UIC and Eastern Illinois's Amanda Dibbs at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Wisconsin will also send three to compete in the alternate regional hosted by Northern Illinois in Rockford, Ill, beginning Oct. 21.

Gruber will meet up with Karyn Emeralda of Chicago State in the first round at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

Loebel and Bauer are both scheduled to take the court at 11:30 a.m. on Friday. Loebel will face UWM's Maddy Soule, while Bauer will take on Emily Rogers of NIU.

Loebel and Bauer will also pair up to take on the Michigan State duo of Michaela Silesova and Nicole Herzog at 10 a.m. on Friday.

The ITA Midwest Regional is the third event of the fall season for Wisconsin. The Badgers opened the fall season at the Gopher Invite, where they recorded 15 singles wins and eight doubles victories, before competing at the Wildcat Invitational Sept. 30-Oct. 2. UW is scheduled to make one last appearance in the fall season, Nov. 4-6, at the Green and White Invitational in East Lansing, Mich.